Numb (er) - AU
by Miss Mairin
Summary: Shion works at a history museum, using the globe's history as an escape from his own terrible past. Nightmares of his late best friend, Safu, plague his sleep. All the medicine in the world from his doctor doesn't help - but what will? A mysterious guy shows up at the museum, changing Shion's entire perspective on life, and giving him a large headache as well. AU - Modern USA
1. Chapter 1

**Numb(er)**

_Chapter 1_

_Italics is Shion thinking. _

All at once, my eyes flew open, revealing the darkness of the apartment's ceiling, a scream held in the back of my throat. I could feel my heart racing, making it extremely hard to breathe normally. _The nightmares are back, _I thought bitterly to myself. _God damn it. The doctor said the new meds would help suppress some of the memories, but I guess when he said "some," he really meant "some". I hoped that when he said some, he meant __**all. **_

I took a few deep breaths, calming myself down, as I sat up. I put my right hand to my forehead, feeling a migraine forming. I groggily threw my legs over the side of my small bed, getting up to go to the restroom. As I swiftly walked towards the bathroom, I glanced at the clock. It said 6:30am. _Well, I only have a half hour till I was supposed to wake up. I guess I'll just stay up the remainder of the time, before work, _I mentally sighed to myself.

After I took care of my business, I whipped out the pain killers the doc gave me, fished out three of the giant horse pills and popped them in my mouth. I filled up a glass of water, downing it as I swallowed the three pills. Now, all I have to do is wait. But in all honesty, waiting SUCKS. Especially with a damn freaking migraine.

I wandered out of the bathroom, going to the middle of the small living room. I plopped down on the couch, groaning as my head throbbed constantly. I flipped the tv on, with the volume on near silent. I watched the news for a bit, before looking at the clock again. 7:04am. _Time to get ready for work. _

By the time I was showered, dressed, and ready for work, my migraine had subsided for the most part. There was still a twinge of pain, when I hit a big bump as I rode my bike to the Augustana History Museum, where I worked nearly every day, all day. I had to pay my rent somehow, since I dropped out of school with no idea of what I wanted to be. I just chose the first part-time job I could snag, and it ended up turning into the career I adore.

At the museum, I give tours to anyone who wants one. Including the annoying elementary school kids, but it didn't really matter - as long as I was able to show my love for history. History kept me sane. Really, it did. I was able to focus on the world's past, as opposed to mine. _As long as I don't remember my past, it's all good… _I mumbled to myself.

I skidded to a stop at the side of the museum, walking my bike the rest of the way towards the back. I quickly locked my bike to the bike stand, before running into the museum. I glanced at my watch, it said 7:58am. Two minutes until my shift started. I went to the store room and put my employee vest on, looking strikingly handsome if I did say so myself. Which I did, of course.

When the Augustana History Museum's giant clock struck 8, I was dressed and in my position, ready for the first tour of the day. The first tour would start at 8:15, and last until 9:15. The tour covered different things, depending on the tour requested. The ones I hosted were usually a general history of the entire world, or more specific histories of the United States, Canada, or Japan. I knew those 4 tours by heart. At the end, I would always get compliments on how good of a tour-guide I am, always showing my extreme affection for the past.

_If only they knew __**my **__past, I bet they wouldn't show "extreme affection", _I muttered quickly to myself, before standing up straight as the first tour group came towards me. This time, it was a couple pairs of parents and their kids, ranging from what it seemed to be 4-10. I sighed, and flashed them my best tour-guide smile. I ushered them further into the museum, explaining how European settlers first came to America, and their relationships with the Native Americans already living there. An hour later, I concluded the United States tour with the explanation of the first black president - Barack Obama. The little kids were extra enthusiastic, no idea why, _but I do think it's pretty neat that I was alive to witness the election, _I rambled to myself, smiling at the children's enthusiasm for history.

It's always great to see someone interested in history. I sighed.

After the 8:15-9:15 tour, I walked around the museum, showing people where to go for certain things, or explaining some events, giving insight, or anything I could do to be helpful. I kept that up until 10, my first break. I used this 15 minute time span before the 10:15 Japanese History tour to go to the restroom and get a snack. I sat in the lounge for a few minutes, munching on my cookies I bought from the vending machine. Once I finished, I stood up, making my way out to observe the crowd.

I opened the door from the lounge to the hallway with the bathrooms and vending machines, before accidently bumping into a young guy, about an inch taller than me. "Sorry," I mumbled, before starting to go back to my tour position. As I walked down the hallway towards the gallery, I looked back to see a young man seeming very uninterested in being at the museum. I frowned, finding it annoying whenever someone wasn't interested in history. That was before I noticed who he was standing next to - a police officer. I stopped in my tracks, observing the scene before me with more care, searching for all the details.

The young man, he looked a few years older than me, maybe 21? 22? I didn't know, but instead my eyes traveled to his facial features. He had a distinct jawline, sharp and ending in a quick point at his chin. His eyes, though I didn't look into them directly, were light gray and had an air of superiority of them. The next thing that caught my eye was his hair - it was shoulder length, longer than how most men wear it. His hair was a dark grayish-blue color, the front hanging down the sides of his face, framing his sharp facial features, with some bangs almost covering his piercing eyes. Behind that, his hair was tied up, probably using his own hair, as it looked a bit ragged.

The more I looked, the more I noticed about him and the scene itself. The guy looked rather annoyed, nodding and shaking his head at the police officer and museum manager. Suddenly, his jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed, glancing angrily away from the two other men. Unfortunately for me, his eyes landed on me, staring me deep in the eyes. I could have sworn he was seeing right through me to the wall. A sly smile formed on his face as his eyes wandered down to my employee vest, and back up to my eyes. His smile grew larger and winked at me before turning his attention back to the two guys.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever! I'll do it, just shut up, okay? Your annoying voices are giving me one hell of a headache," the young man announced, loud enough for me to hear. The police officer and manager looked at each other and shrugged. The museum manager pointed to the store room, and said something I couldn't make out. _Maybe he's here to do some remodeling? Or he's going to organize the store room? _I thought, but knew that neither of those scenarios were true. _What about the police officer? What was he doing here? _

I took a quick look at my watch, before yelping and scrambling back to my post. It was 10:17, and I was late! I'm never, ever, _ever, __**ever, **_late. Even by two minutes. I groaned out loud, rushing towards the group of people gathered for my tour. I introduced myself as Shion, their tour-guide for the Japanese History tour. I gave them my most charming smile and started on the tour, babbling on about the Kofun period, from Ancient Japan, and how it was named after the burial mounds that started appearing at the time.

Though I was focused on my touring, as I always was, my thoughts wandered to the guy. _Why is he here? Why did he wink at me? I wonder what he did, if anything, to be escorted by a police officer. _The thing that was stuck in my mind the most, though, was his piercing gray eyes. His eyes knew something. I didn't know what, but those eyes were quite wise, and has witnessed past events I wouldn't dare to imagine, I could feel it. If I didn't know better, I might've thought he could understand _**my **_past.

_What are you doing here?..._

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

**Numb(er)**

_Chapter 2_

_Italics is Shion thinking. _

For about the hundredth time (so far) that day, I checked my watch. It read 12:30. I groaned aloud, silently thanking God, or gods, or whatever was sort of watching over me. My stomach grumbled loudly, agreeing with my happy sentiment. I unconsciously skipped (like a little girl…) to the lounge, ready to eat my lunch. I threw the door open, a smile apparent on my face as I started moving towards the fridge before, yet again, bumping into someone.

Oh, who could it be? I wonder! Not really.

It was the young man, from early. I grumbled an apology before continuing my way to the fridge, opening it and grabbing the brown bag with 'Shion' written in my handwriting in black sharpie.

"Hey, you." I heard an unfamiliar, deep voice coming from behind me, scaring me out of my hungry thoughts. I straightened up quickly out of fright, hitting the top of my head on the inside of the refrigerator. I yelped and let out a silent 'fuck' before rubbing the back of my head with my right hand, my lunch in my left. He paused for a couple seconds before continuing, "What's your name?" I turned around, careful not to hit anything again. The guy from before looked straight into my eyes, a serious look on his face. At first, I wasn't going to answer, but I felt an annoyed aura coming from him, so I decided not to push his mood any further into annoyance.

"Uh, I'm Shion. Who are _**you**__?" _I answered, shooting the same question back at him. I subconsciously looked away from him, his eyes baring into me a tad too much. I then realized I was uncomfortable and also stuck between a rock and a hard place. Or, in this case, the guy and the now-closed fridge. After I asked the fateful question of who was he, his mouth twisted into an almost evil grin.

"I'm Nezumi."

And that's all that happened. He told me his name. He smiled at me, a coy tint at the corners of his mouth. He backed away from me, and walked away, whistling a tune I didn't recognize.

That's when I noticed what he was wearing.

He had an employee vest on. And he looked damn good in it, too. _Why the fuck am I thinking that? I don't even find guys attractive, _I grumbled silently before correcting myself: _well... more accurately - I don't find anyone attractive._

A couple hours later, it was finally, finally, time for me to go home. As it were, that day was one of the most exhausting ones I've had in a long time. I checked my watch another several hundred times, before nearly collapsing when it finally (finally is my favorite word) said 6pm.

I sighed, leaning my tired body on the cool wall and reflected on the events of the day: _After finishing lunch, I gave a few more tours, one on Greece, and one on France. I gave a slightly longer one, around 2 hours, about the generic history of the Earth. Throughout the tours, I always seemed to catch myself glancing around, looking for that mysterious weirdo, Nezumi. Yet, I also seemed to try to avoid him. A paradox, but truth none-the-less. A few times, I did end up catching his glances, making eye contact with him. For some reason, I kept looking away with my face feeling unusually warm, somewhat frightened. _I must be catching a cold, _I had determined, not believing any other plausible reason - since there obviously wasn't any. _

_After my Greece tour, I went up to the manager and asked why Nezumi was wearing an employee vest and he finally explained it to me, and everything came together. Jason, my manager, said that Nezumi is working at the museum for community service. He had been in jail for a couple months, after violating his parole. He obtained parole by robbing a gas station and getting caught - how unoriginal. He paid a slight fine and was under parole for several months until he robbed the __**same**_ _gas station. _

_I wonder what's his deal with that place,_ I questioned in my mind before recalling the rest of Jason's tale.

_Nezumi had went to trial, and pled guilty so he was only sentenced to a year of jail. After 4 months had passed, they told him if he did some community service, he would reduce his jail time to only 2 months remaining, serving half of his total year-long sentence. Like any sane person would do, Nezumi had agreed. And out of all the damn places in Augustana, he was told to serve his community service at the History Museum. According to Jason, he had been whining unconditionally right before he started working. _

Jason thinks he just gave up, but I knew what really happened. Nezumi saw me, and decided doing the service at the museum wouldn't be too bad - he could have fun torturing me. Oh boy, does he torture me. Obnoxiously, no less.

_After the explanation Jason gave me, I did my France tour, and I could feel Nezumi's puzzling eyes baring into my back the entire time. I dared not turn around, in fear of what sort of monster I would see. The one time I did, he made a face that I guess he thought was supposed to be funny, but all it did was scare the shit out of me. His teeth were a bit pointed in his impish grin and I was positive he could rip someone's throat out like that. _

_For the rest of the France tour and the entirety of the Earth History tour, I kept my eyes and focus on teaching my groups about the past. I knew he was still watching me. Although I had been determined to focus on the tour groups, I still snuck a few glances at him when he wasn't looking my way. When Nezumi seemed to be relaxed, he didn't look too scary - almost peaceful. But not quite. _

Suddenly, I was ripped out of my recollection of the day with a deep chuckle. I looked up from my sitting position on the ground to see the devil himself smirking down at me. I guess my contemplation of the guy called his presence towards mine. Like my thoughts had called to him or something. Either way, it didn't really matter, because he was still positioned above me, looking down into my eyes. His mouth started moving, but I was so engrossed with the fact that he was lingering over me, almost too close for comfort, that I couldn't make out what he was saying. I could feel his hot breath on the top of my head from all the down on the ground.

I blinked as he waited for me to respond. I opened my mouth to ask him what he had said. I had tried to sound undaunted by his close proximity, but what came out of my mouth was the opposite.

"W-w-what?"

_Fuck. I stuttered. _I grumbled a long, annoyed groan, feeling totally embarrassed. Before I could scold myself for being so stupid, I heard him laugh. This wasn't a dark chuckle, or a snicker, but a genuine laugh that radiated warmth.

"You're funny." Nezumi paused, calming himself down. He still had a glowing smile on his face before explaining. "I asked you if your shift was over yet."

I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Cool." He straightened up, cracking his back like he was some old man. He looked down at me again, a sly smile on his face. "You looked engrossed in your work. How long have you worked here?" he inquired, while stretching out a hand to help me up. I took it, pulling as I stood up.

"A little less than a year. I'm 18, but I graduated high school a year early, so that's why I'm able to work here for so long. It probably sounds dumb to everyone except me, but I love working at the history museum. There are so many different pasts, all in different timelines and places. And, it all adds up into one big history - the Earth. I love knowing the past of every single place, so that's why I give most of the tours. My favorite tour to give is either the Japan one, or the United States one, though I enjoy Greece, France, Italy, North and South Korea, and Australia as well. Not to mention, I have pretty much the entire history of the world memorized. Just the generic part, though. I can't know everything about the past - that'd be impossible!"

I finally took a breath, looking at Nezumi. He had a weird look on his face - like I was crazy or something. By then, I realized I had been babbling on about history, which I was sure he didn't give one shit about. Suddenly, the look changed. It went from confused to amused. I could feel my eyebrows scrunching up in confusion - why did his expression change so quickly? Like he had read my mind, he chose then to speak up.

"It's nice to see someone passionate about their work, for once. You said you're 18? I'm 21. I never finished high school. I don't love anything related to work. I don't even know if I even want to have a job at all." He paused, a slight frown flickering on his face, before going to a somewhat indifferent expression. "There. We're even. Now you know the same things about me, that I know about you."

Randomly, he frowned again before turning around and stalking off without so much as a goodbye. I was left there, my confused expression still apparent on my face.

The only thing that went through my mind was: _He's one weird guy._

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

**Numb(er)**

_Chapter 3_

_Italics is Shion's thoughts_

"Yo."

I recognized the familiar voice immediately, and the only thing that came to my mind was:

Speak of the devil.

I came to find, throughout the past month, that the famous English phase was quite accurate when it came to this certain man. In truth, Nezumi is an actual demon disguised as a handsome young man. No, not demon. He'd be King of the Demons, confident and powerful. Not to mention, full of mystery and mischief.

_Wait, would it be King Devil? Is the Devil the king of all of the demons?_ I pondered to myself, getting a little lost in thought as Nezumi as king. He would make a handsome king, dressed in elegant clothes. Nezumi radiated power and it was hard to not like him, even if he was mischievous and slightly cold. But sometimes The King of the Demons had a soft spot - and who knew it would be for me?

King Devil and I had come to an understanding. He hated history, and working at the museum. He told me he didn't mind it because at least he wasn't bored. He told me he was much more the math person, and this hadn't surprised me one bit. However, the way he had such… distaste for history made me slightly annoyed.

Therefore, I had vowed to myself to force him to begin to like history. He had smiled and laughed at me, calling me stubborn. I had already knew I was stubborn, but hearing it from him in such a mocking tone pissed me off.

The rest of that day, I had ignored him.

At the end of our shift, he met me outside the museum, like he had every night for a couple days. I feigned annoyance at him, already had forgiven him. So, I decided to have fun with it instead. He was so flustered that I could actually be annoyed at him. King Devil - I had silently bestowed the nickname on him in my mind - was really, really, cute when he was flustered. All I could do was laugh at him. He looked up at me with confused puppy eyes, wondering why I was laughing.

I told him he was weird. Then, I explained that I was just messing with him. I wasn't really angry anymore. His puppy eyes turned into an evil gleam as he looked proudly at me. Now, I had been the confused one.

He told me he was rubbing off on me. He also mentioned that he had another month to rub off on me even more.

I think he was trying to be dirty with that one.

Damn King of the Demons.

_This guys' timing is annoyingly accomplished, it's like he knew I was thinking about him or something, _I mumbled, finishing the replay of the memory in my mind.

_Hopefully he really can't read minds, otherwise I'd be screwed! He'd never let the fact that I thought about him as a king - a handsome one at that - go. He'd tease me relentlessly._

I groaned out loud, unaware that Nezumi was still looking at me to respond to his greeting. In the background, I could hear shoes tapping - who knew he was a type to do that? - and he cleared his throat and had an amused glint in his eyes. I groaned again, avoiding his glance.

Finally, I looked up at him, and grunted out a quick 'hi' before going into the employee's storeroom, digging around the messy area for my vest, signifying that I was an employee. The clothing item wasn't where I put it - I always put it (folded) in a little cubby in the corner of the room. I didn't think much of it, only that I probably had unconsciously put it somewhere else the night before.

I stretched before continuing to search for my vest. I checked my watch and it had read 7:51am. I had woken up early, unable to sleep because of the nightmares. Last night was unusually horrible. Usually, the dreams only focused on the good things about Safu. It made me sad, but not guilty, as this nightmare had.

I shivered, remembering how vivid the nightmare was. No. Night terror is a better term for it. Though it was only a dream - it was still real. All of it really happened. And that's what scared me the most. I whimpered quietly as I remembered all of the story - and dream - thoroughly. Little did I know, Nezumi was still behind me, not having left after I brushed past him.

_~~dream~~_

_All I could see was me. It wasn't me as in I was looking in a mirror, or at a photograph, it seems like my current existence was floating as I looked on, at my physical body, several years younger than the present - three, to be precise. My dream self still had the dark chocolate brown hair I was born with. I also still had my deep, innocent, chocolate brown eyes. This was me before __**it **__happened. Before the dream really even started, my present self knew immediately that this wasn't going to be a happy dream. It was going to be the nightmare that I tried to forget for these three whole years._

_The 15 year old version of me had looked up, staring intently at someone I hadn't notice join my past self. It was 14 year old Safu. I remembered thinking, as I looked on at the exchange of conversation of my past self and Safu, how beautiful she looked. She had always dressed elegantly and looked neat and precise. It would make sense, though, as she was the daughter of a rich business man. _

_For some reason, I was fixated on their hair as I noticed my dream self and Safu's hair. They were two different genders, but their hair was quite similar. They both had brown hair, although hers was a shade blacker than my past self's. My hairstyle had basically been the same as Safu's, just a bit more shaggy and wavy. I heard my dream self laugh as Safu blushed, and in turn, my dream self blushed as well. _

_I had loved her, so why didn't I notice that before?_

_Suddenly, the dream changed to the next scene. My dream self was crying, loud, wailing sobs that was no doubt coupled with a runny nose and a bunch of snot. I knew what happened before the scene even started to unfold. The younger version of myself had a crumpled piece of notebook paper, gripped tightly in his hands. I knew the note well - my past self found it in Safu's father's trashcan. I knew what it said, too. I didn't have to listen to myself reading it aloud to know. But that didn't matter. The dream followed reality, so therefore my past self began to read. The small voice had croaked, a strangled sound coming from my past mouth. _

'_Mr. Elyurias. _

_I am sure you have noticed, but in case you have not - we have your daughter. Safu. _

_Safu Elyurias. _

_What a pretty name. _

_If you want Safu to come back to you - or, actually, live at all - we are demanding $5 million. _

_Since she is a beautiful young woman, we're being so kind as to not hurt her. _

_That is, unless, you decide not to pay up. You have 2 weeks. _

_Respectfully, _

_The Six.'_

_I winced as I heard my past self's low growl. His deep chocolate brown eyes had a glint of determination in them, as well as fury. Before I could try to reach out and tell my past self to calm down, the scene changed again. I whimpered, knowing what happened next. _

_It took several weeks, but my past self had tracked down The Six, and found them in a warehouse with many stolen items, and Safu tied up in a corner. Knowing my previous stupidity, I wanted to look away at what would happen. But it was like a car crash, as cliche as it sounds. I couldn't look away. My dream self had barged in, no plan, no weapons, and no idea of what he was doing. _

_The Six had easily trapped my dream self, and tied him up as well, putting him down next to Safu. She looked deathly pale and skinny. After all, it had been 3 weeks. To this day, I still didn't know if they had even fed her. _

_Minutes later, both of my selves had heard the men arguing, yelling and throwing things recklessly. One item struck Safu in the back and she had let out a strangled yelp. The sound had drew their attention to her, as they had forgotten she was still there. The leader - I could only assume - kicked a trashcan before reaching into his pocket. I wasn't able to hear what he said, because in that moment my dream self had been too scared to pay attention. He was, instead, comforting Safu and rubbing her back where she had been hit. _

_I saw Safu's eyes go wide, and before I knew it she was crumpled into my dream self's arms. The past self felt weird liquid drip down from her into his lap and onto the floor. I looked away from the two younger teenagers, up to the leader. Sure enough, like I had figured out later, he had shot her. No sooner than did he shoot her did he laugh and announce that 'seeing her die would fuck my dream self up enough.'_

_I had been spared. The men picked the two kids up and dumped them out in a park and left. Soon, my dream self and Safu's body were surrounded by sirens. Police, ambulances, firetrucks, the whole shebang. During the real event, I didn't remember what had happened then, so the rescue, hospitalization, and other things were fuzzy._

_The scene eventually began to clear up, and it changed to the funeral. I was the only one to attend. Safu's mom had died years ago, and her father didn't come. My past self thought that her father was probably on some super important business trip or something, but I never thought that he didn't show up because he didn't love Safu._

_It all didn't matter. I loved Safu, and she died. In my arms. _

_The dream changed to the final scene. It was the year anniversary of Safu's death, half a year after I had turned 16. I watched as my past self had a mental breakdown and seriously considered suicide. It would make sense. At that point, I had no father, a mother that was hollow, no siblings, and I had lost my best friend. I watched as the past-me went through every single memory of Safu he could remember, just as I did. The entire time, my dream self had been hurting himself. After the end of the montage of memories, my dream self was covered in blood and bruises. _

_By now, it was raining. Hard. My dream self walked to the second story porch and screamed into the night. He screamed his hatred for the world, and how he wished he would've died with Safu. I remember this part well. My 16 year old self screamed and screamed, until no more screams could come forth. I saw the expression of my dream self flash from sadness to determined. I smiled as I remembered what I decided on. I decided to live. Live happily. Happy enough for both me and Safu put together. _

_To make that happen, my dream self decided he needed a new start. He dyed his hair to my current silver-y white color. And that's when I started going to therapy. I got advice, medicine, and help from a Mr. Rikiga. That was also when I decided I was in love with history._

_Finally, the dream ended._

_It had went black, before an image was visible for a few seconds. It was Safu, dressed in one of my favorite outfits of hers. Her smile was invigorating. She was just so damn beautiful._

_And then it went black._

_~~end dream~~_

Lost in my thoughts about the nightmare, I couldn't recognize where I was. After a few seconds of rapid blinking, I realized I was still in the store room. I remembered that I was looking for my vest. Out of nowhere, I heard an unusually kind voice speaking to me.

"Hey. Welcome back," Nezumi had said softly. I could only assume he heard me and saw my distress on my face. I sighed and looked down on the ground before gathering my courage to ask a question.

"How long was I out of it?"

"A few minutes. It's all good. What were you thinking about that could get such a horrified expression on your cute little face?" The question had been asked warmly, to not scared me. It was weird for Nezumi to be so nice, but that was what I needed that moment. I thought about how I should answer him, completely unaware that he called my face cute.

"Someone I miss, very much," I murmured, barely loud enough for him to hear. It wasn't technically a lie - I did miss Safu - but the dream wasn't about her. It was about my incompetence and how… how I got her killed. Her death was all my fault, and I knew it. That was the baggage I had to carry.

Apparently I had made another heartbroken face, as Nezumi enveloped me into a hug.

"So, the past, huh?" I heard him mutter, mostly to himself. For some reason, I smiled and nodded at him. Quietly, I responded.

"Yes. The past."

I took a breath and stepped away from the intense hug. I smiled up at him, sadly. But the smile was still hopeful.

Even if I had only knew him a month, I felt very comfortable around him. His presence was calming.

Even if he was King of the Demons.

Which he was.

End of Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

**Numb(er)**

_Chapter 4_

I opened the front door, looking outside, admiring the nice day. Today was one of my few days off, and it was lucky that it was such a beautiful day. I took a deep breath, smelling nature's distinct, comforting smell. I stepped outside, locking my front door behind me. Heading towards Augustana's downtown area, my mind drifted to insignificant things: the tune the birds were whistling, the rustling of the leaves, dogs and their owners passing by, a certain dark grey haired man... _Wait, a dark grey haired man? _I caught myself thinking, before sighing. O_h no. _

Said man waved towards me, a silly grin on his face. I smiled slightly back at him, hiding my actual distaste of meeting him on my day off, of all days.

"Hey, Shion. What's up? Is it your day off today?" Nezumi questioned, looking hopeful. I couldn't lie and say it wasn't, because he would figure it out. He always figured it out.

"Hi, Nezumi. Yes, it is my day off. I was heading towards town," I answered, before navigating the conversation towards him. "Aren't you supposed to be at the museum? With your _police officer?" _I emphasized the last two words, hoping he would go to the museum and not bother me on the one day a week I didn't see him.

Nezumi looked at me with a funny face, it held an emotion I couldn't quite recognize. "Nope. Sanchez gave me the day off, since I've been behaving amazingly and stuff. You know, the usual. Plus, you seemed like you didn't feel good yesterday, so I wanted to make sure you were okay." He paused, and I smiled, surprised he actually cared about me. "Okay enough to handle my teasings, at least," he snickered as my smile contorted into a frown. So much for caring.

I huffed and starting walking, leaving Nezumi behind. I really did not want to talk to him, not today. Especially not after he hugged me yesterday. It was pathetic, really. I did not like when my past interfered with my work, but yesterday it had. And Nezumi was there to witness it. I am glad that he didn't say anything afterward, but it did bother me that he hugged me. Not bother, exactly, but more like… perplexed me. I didn't know he cared about someone, much less how to handle it. Therefore, I would ignore him.

My thoughts were interrupted with loud thumps, getting closer. An arm was slung around my shoulder, and I looked up to see none other than the King of the Demons. _All Hail Nezumi, _I grumbled in my mind. "I thought I could accompany you today. I won't ask you if that's okay, because it's happening. No ifs ands or buts."

I stared up at him, my face knotted in several different emotions. Confusion, irritation, and a little bit of humor. The most relevant emotion, however, on my face was disbelief. I honestly could not believe the silly saying of no ifs ands or buts came out of Nezumi's mouth. I continued to gape at him until he looked at me, confused as well.

His face was the last straw. I burst out into loud laughter, echoing through the park we had entered. Everything was okay when the saying had come out of just his mouth - but when his face was added… _Oh God, I can't breathe. _I continued laughing until an uncharacteristic snort came out of my mouth. I stood, frozen in place, a blush furiously spreading on my face.

Now it was Nezumi's turn to laugh. Even though his laugh was aimed at teasing me, I didn't feel annoyed or anything. His laugh rang throughout the town, and it warmed my heart. I tried to push the unwanted warmth away, but it buried itself into my heart and didn't let go. I smiled up at him, slightly giggling again as well. He looked so beautiful. The bright sun shone down on him, and he had his head thrown back, his mouth open with delightful sounding laughter.

As I looked at him thoroughly, I sighed. I gave up on trying to dislike him. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I was falling for him. When Nezumi finally calmed down, he looked at me with a delicate smile. I pretended to frown and feigned an annoyed sigh.

"Alright, alright, suit yourself. You can come," I muttered, admitting defeat. Nezumi's smile only grew larger, before I continued. "I won't be very much fun, though. But it's your choice."

I continued walking, heading downtown. I looked around the park, noticing happy couples and families having fun. I felt slightly jealous, but not as much as I would have on any other day. Nezumi started walking as well, catching up to me in mere seconds. Unfortunately, he noticed my face looking wistfully at the couples, and he grabbed my hand. Surprising myself, I didn't jerk away. I just let my hand be held.

Several minutes later, we arrived at my favorite cafe. I quickly steered us towards my favorite booth. It was in the corner, far enough away for it to be quiet, but close enough I could keep an eye on who came and went. It was nice, as well, considering it was right next to the drink area. My favorite barista greeted me, as I sat down, with Nezumi opposite me.

"Hey, Shion! Long time no see. It's been forever since you came to see me," the brown haired barista whined. The feminine person raked a hand through their hair, pushing their thick hair out of their face.

"Hi, Kashi. It's nice to see you again. I see you still are growing your hair out. Like to keep everyone guessing, huh?" I smiled, joking with the feminine looking male. I gestured towards Nezumi, introducing them. "Nezumi, this is Inukashi. I call him Kashi, for short. Kashi, this is Nezumi. He works at the museum with me."

Both guys eyed each other up, frowning as they did so. Nezumi let a snort out, and turned towards me. "You're friends with this dog? Pfft. You could do better."

"Excuse me? At least I'm not full of diseases, Rat." Inukashi snarkily replied, before looking towards me as well. "The usual?"

"Yes, please. Extra sugar, if possible, this time. Thank you. Nezumi, I think, would like a coffee," I responded, ordering for Nezumi before things could turn into a fight. Both men grumbled, giving each other one last glare. Kashi stomped off to put in my order. I sighed and laid my head down on the smooth table, already exhausted.

I vaguely heard Nezumi mutter about something, most likely an insult about Kashi, but I ignored it. I focused on nothing in particular, dozing off in the meantime. A few minutes later, I was gently shaken awake by Kashi, who had delivered our drinks. I thanked him, and gave him a smile as well as a tip. A few moments after he left, I looked up at Nezumi. A frown covered his face.

"What? Why do you look so pissed?" I demanded, slightly annoyed with the change in mood.

His eyes narrowed at me, and his frown became more of a frown, if that is even possible. His face relaxed a little bit, before asking, "did you sleep last night?"

Out of all the questions in the world, he had to ask that one. I had not slept last night, due to the same night terror as the previous night, but I wasn't going to tell him that. I frowned, and tried my best to look convincing. "Of course I did. I don't need you worrying about my sleep schedule." The last part came out with a bit of malice, but I didn't care. He needed to mind his own business.

I studied his face again, trying to see if he knew I was lying or not. I didn't need to study for very long, because he immediately snarled a "Liar."

I flinched, feeling slightly guilty. I opened my mouth to make an excuse, but he beat me to it. "Was it a nightmare? Like, from yesterday?"

This time, his voice was slightly more caring. I bit my lip, but nodded none-the-less.

"Tell me," Nezumi said simply, no trace of anger. And so, I told him. The entire dream, the past, whatever it was, I told him all of it.

Two coffees with extra sugar and several tears later, I had told him everything. He had flinched when he heard the name Safu Elyurias, but either it was my imagination or he had read the news. Either way, it didn't bother me, since I had flinched as well.

Nezumi remained silent, taking the entire story in. He bit his lip, with a look on his face I couldn't decipher. I could see some pain, but confusion as well. I didn't understand. I was pondering what that could mean, when he spoke up, tearing me from my thoughts.

"You said Safu… Safu Elyurias, right? That exact name, are you sure?"

He sounded almost… scared. I nodded slowly, utterly confused. I was about to ask him what was wrong when I heard a quiet "oh shit."

I looked at him in a daze, before Nezumi said it again, louder this time.

"Oh. Shit. Fucking SHIT."

His dark eyes were darker than usual - full of pure panic.

End of Chapter 4


	5. Chapter 5

**Numb(er)**

_Chapter 5_

_(A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. It just felt right, to end it there.)_

"_Oh. Shit. Fucking SHIT."_

_His dark eyes were darker than usual - full of pure panic._

"Nezumi?" I questioned, concern flooding my voice. "What's wrong? I don't understand. Please tell me what's going on," I pleaded with him. His eyes were still dark, and he looked conflicted. Nezumi seemed like he was going to throw up, and that worried me. I got up from my seat, and walked over towards him. I lifted him up, throwing his arm around me, and dragged him out of the cafe.

Kashi looked over at me, confused. I mouthed to him that I'd be back later, and I left a few dollar bills on the table. Kashi looked somewhat concerned, but turned away and went back to making drinks. Once outside, I sat Nezumi down on a bench, and sat next to him. He looked deathly pale, and frighteningly sick. I shook him gently, looking at him carefully. "...Nezumi?"

He whimpered, and looked at me. His expression changed from fear and panic to sadness and grief. "Please tell me what's wrong." He shook his head, ignoring me. Inwardly, I scolded myself for what I was about to do, but if something was wrong with Nezumi, then I needed to know.

"Hey… Nezumi." I paused, lifting his chin up so he could see me. I put on my best puppy-eye look, and in the most innocent voice I could muster, whispered, "please? please tell me?"

I could see his resolve break into pieces. Nezumi nodded carefully, clearing his throat. "C-can we go to your house? I don't want to t-tell you, here," he whispered, staring at the ground. I nodded, and led him to my house.

Mere minutes later, I was unlocking the door, and ushered him in. He sat down on my bed, and I sat next to him, wrapping an arm around him gently. Silently, I looked at him, imploring him to start explaining. He tensed up, and whispered something I couldn't make out. He tried again, and I caught what he said, this time.

"I was there."

That's what he said. He elaborated.

"With Safu. And The Six. I was there."

I coughed, unsure what to say, or do. I waved my hand in the air, dismissing the possibility. "That's a shitty joke, Nezumi. Don't be an asshole."

Again, he looked away from me. His eyes. They were so full of shame and regret, that I couldn't help but think he was telling the truth. A sob escaped my throat and soon, a waterfall of tears emerged.

"I didn't know… I didn't know you were the little boy. Shion, I'm sorry. I really am. I could've stopped them, but I didn't. I didn't want them to tell you guys, either. I was just… there. I'm sorry."

I looked at him with disgust written all over my face, and backed away from him. "You're a terrible person. How - how could you do that? You let Safu be killed!" I screamed at him, fury engulfing my entire being. "Get out of my house!"

"W-wait, Shion! Wait! I didn't do anything, I didn't want her to die," he paused, trying to calm himself down, before he continued. His voice shook as he tried to explain himself. "I didn't wa-want to be there. I was forced. Please, Shion, believe me. If I tried to stop them…" he trailed off, looking at me with sorrowful eyes. "I would've been killed, too. Please. Shion."

I glared at him with all my might. I didn't bother screaming. "Get out of my house." My voice was so sharp and even, it scared even me. My voice didn't need to be loud to be powerful, it was dripping with malice. Nezumi looked surprised, and got up to leave, but he wasn't quick enough for me. I went up and punched him, square in the face. At this point, my anger took over everything - even my rational part of my mind. "Get out."

This time, he obeyed quickly. Nezumi scampered out of my house, and I could almost see a tail between his legs as he ran out; away from me.

After a few seconds of silence, everything hit me, and I screamed, hot tears streaming down my face. I howled with heartache, realizing that not only had I lost Safu, I lost my only other friend, too. Nezumi.

Even if it was only the afternoon, I stalked to the bathroom and took my sleep medicine out of the counter. I took 3 more than the recommended dose, and texted the museum's phone, saying I wouldn't be at work the next day. I turned all the lights off, closed all the shades, making my apartment dark as possible. I crawled under the covers, continuing to cry and cry.

My mind wouldn't shut off, it was torturing me. It went through the memories of Safu being killed, me getting her killed, and then… then… it added Nezumi. It wasn't the leader who killed Safu, but Nezumi. My mind switched between horrific images of Nezumi being the murderer, and Nezumi being murdered. It hurt. All of it hurt. I missed Safu, so much, but I missed Nezumi, too.

As much as he got on my nerves, I had fallen for him. The past month and a half had been overwhelmingly full of Nezumi, and I liked it that way. Nezumi. Nezumi. Nezumi. Full of Nezumi.

_But now, now… I'm not so sure, _I thought to myself, before succumbing to the sleeping pills.


End file.
